EPrints on Cultural Heritage

The Role of Sports Facilities in Metro Manila’s Urban Living from the 1930s to 1970s

Caballero, Gabriel Victor
(2018)
The Role of Sports Facilities in Metro Manila’s Urban Living from the 1930s to 1970s.
In:
mASEANa Project 2017: modern living in Southeast Asia.
TOKYO Print, pp. 22-25.
[Book Section]

Abstract (in English)

Publicly accessible sporting facilities started to appear in the Philippines during the early part of the 20th century under the American rule. Sports was used as a form of benevolent assimilation of American culture, uplifting of the standard of living for Filipinos to become ‘bearers of a more advanced way of life’. During this period, the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, built in 1934, served as a public facility aimed at improving the health conditions of people in the capital.
After the Philippine independence from America, large architectural expressions were created to assert national identity and signify Filipino aspirations that are at par with international standards of living. The Araneta Coliseum built in 1960 was designed to be the biggest covered coliseum in the world. It is situated in Quezon City, at Araneta Center, a 35-hectare commercial property that became a bustling hub of trade and commerce which continues to develop up to this day.
This paper looks at the socio-political context and the cultural significance of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and the Araneta Coliseum, which are prominent sports complexes in the Philippines. It also maps out fundamental differences that have shaped their history to the present and it problematizes the changing urban planning paradigm, which affect their current states of upkeep and their future development.